Grant: Operating Grant

Hoarding disorder is a newly defined diagnostic category that affects as many as 1.5 million Canadians. Although hoarding appears on the surface (and perhaps on TV shows) to be a simple problem of poor housekeeping, the disorder involves substantial functional impairment including severe social isolation and inability to sustain minimal standards of home maintenance. Seniors and low-income renters are particularly vulnerable to threat of eviction and accidents in the home. The hallmark symptom of hoarding disorder is extreme emotional distress about, and avoidance of, discarding objects most people would let go of. As a result, the home becomes too full to use some or all of the rooms for their intended purpose. Possessions in the home become extremely disorganized, with important (e.g., passport) and unimportant (e.g., out-dated sales flyers) items mixed together. Intervention for hoarding is complex, and the most effective intervention tested thus far has shown only modest effects despite an enormous investment of resources. Limited understanding of the cognitive processes involved in decisions to acquire and discard possessions in turn limits the degree to which treatment can effectively target these processes. This research will determine the cognitive underpinnings of two key features of hoarding: excessive valuing of objects and extreme disorganization of the home. Five studies are proposed to investigate aspects of cognitive functioning as they relate to hoarding behaviour. In relation to the psychology of ownership, we focus on attention and memory as well as specific types of judgment and decision-making. We also examine whether hoarding involves deficits in executive functioning (e.g., concept formation, impulse control). The results will directly impact the development of more efficacious and cost-effective approaches to treatment as well as provide clues into the neuroscience behind hoarding and related disorders.